Never Want To Say It's Love
by Mariss95
Summary: Post-finale scenes. Laurel confronts Oliver about the one he loves / Oliver and Felicity go back to the manor
1. Never want to say it

Okay, so this is a short post-finale one-shot based on a prompt in tumblr by_ thenerddess_ (look for it at the end notes)

Enjoy!

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**NEVER WANT TO SAY IT'S LOVE**

_I meant every word that I said _

_I stand by every word that I said _

_I never wanna say it's love _

_But it's really what I'm thinking of_

She didn't know what to expect.

If there was something Laurel Lance had learnt in the past year was to expect the unexpected; that there was more to people that met the eye. Many secrets had unraveled, her life and loved ones being clear as day now –and not only because alcohol wasn't in the mix anymore–.

Sara was gone, yet safe at least. Her father was on bed rest, surgery having taking a toll on him; but safe nonetheless. Her city was in crumbles, shaken by evil and vengeance again, though this time the only casualty in her life was normalcy.

In the last twenty-four hours she had worked alongside the arrow and the canary, masked heroes, and been kidnapped, yet again, by a vindictive criminal. Only now it made sense, why her… or at least she thought so.

Walking into Verdant, carefully avoiding the wreckage Slade's men had torn off this place, she faced the one man that held the answer.

Oliver stood by the bar, studying the damage while he waited for her. A smiled tugged at his lips as he spotted her and she smiled back, mentally cataloging the several cuts he had now on his face.

"I'm fine" he muttered at her worried expression. "How's your father?"

"Recovering. He's stubborn as hell though, if he had gotten that checked out earlier…"

"Well, it runs in the family" he butted in before she got upset again. Her family's health was a touchy subject. She smiled in return, her thoughts now drifting to what had brought her here. He seemed to notice the change as his brow furrowed in advance.

"I need to ask you something, Ollie." At his slight nod she went on. "That day, when Slade took me, _us_, and you showed up. He said we were there because the one you loved had to die. And, don't get me wrong 'cause I'm not making any assumptions about us, but I thought it made sense that he thought of me; giving our history… yet _she's_ the one he was talking about." Her words hanged in the air, there was no need to say who she was, both knew and Laurel could already see how Oliver was bracing for her question.

"Are you two together?"

There was no complain in her voice, though he could sense she was slightly hurt he hadn't told her. Before he could mull over her question the easy answer came forward.

"No."

Laurel studied him for a moment. She thought she had gotten somewhat good at reading through his lies after knowing him for most of her life, but the last couple of years had proven her otherwise. Still she knew, deep down there was more to it that he let on; and as much as he didn't like to be pushed, she wasn't one to stand down. After all he had done the same to her when she needed it the most; it's what had lead her to pulling herself together after the melt-down.

"So she's not the woman you love?"

Her words echoed in his head, and as much as he wanted to deny it, knowing it would do no good for anyone right now, there was something holding the words back.

Truth is when he uttered those three words to Felicity he didn't mean it to sound like that, didn't thought of saying them at all; what he had said before was more than enough to sell Slade the idea. Yet before he could hold them back the words had rolled off his lips, and in that moment he knew he meant it.

Now he was scared shitless of what to do next, what it meant for them. Since then he had been mulling over the fact he knew what he wanted but figuring out if he was ready to fight for it.

"We're not together" he repeated then; simple enough answer, still the truth without admitting something he wasn't ready to talk about.

Yet Laurel could read through his diversion, the meaning behind his words and that lost look in his eyes. A smile spread across her face as she realized that, even through the hell his life had been lately, he had happiness in his life; had found peace after their relationship had crumbled to pieces.

Taking a step forward she placed a hand on his forearm making him meet her eyes.

"I'm happy for you" she whispered with heart-felt conviction.

His eyes lightened as her words washed over him and, without the need to say more, she pulled him into a hug. Their eyes closed in content, knowing they'd found a good place in their friendship again, one where they could be honest with each other like never before.

"I swear if I got my hands on Slade now I'd kill him in a second. I can't believe he destroyed my whole set up down there! It's gonna take weeks to get my babies back on track. And with you being broke now it's gonna take even longer to update it."

Felicity ranted as she emerged through the lair's secret door onto the dance floor, eyes glued to the tablet in her hands. She stopped in her tracks as she looked up and saw Oliver and Laurel staring at her beaming.

"Oh I'm sorry, I thought you were alone."

"It's ok" Laurel stepped in. "I was just leaving."

Then, much to everyone's surprise, she walked up to Felicity.

"Thank you for what you did the other day. That sure took a lot of courage and I'm not sure I would be here if it weren't for you."

"No problem, he got it coming and then some."

Their smiles widened at her. Laurel now got the light Sara had talked to her about, how Felicity could make anyone laugh even in the worst of circumstances.

Laurel gave her a last smile before turning away and mouthing to Oliver _'don't screw this up'_.

He shook his head in amusement as Felicity neared him, still frowning at Laurel's retrieving form.

"What was all that about? I'm not complaining, at all actually, but she's always been kind of cold to me."

"Yeah well, she's growing up. We all are" he finished meeting her eyes, a smile tugging at his lips again.

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Thanks for reading! So the prompt was:

_Oliver and Laurel where Laurel confronts Oliver about his feelings for Felicity and what Slade said in the finale. Maybe she asks him if he and Felicity are together and he says no. Then she asks "So she's not the woman you love?" But he can't deny it, maybe he repeats himself and says they are not together._

Hope you liked it! And, as always, please leave a word or two with your thoughts to make my day :)


	2. Light outside

_**A/N:**_ Hi! So I didn't think I would write more post-finale ficlets but this conversation was stuck in my mind and ended up writing it down. It's in the same universe as the first chapter with Laurel, though it happens before, right after they get back from the island. This story now is sort of a series of post-finale scenes. If I write more I'll probably post them here.

Hope you like it!

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**LIGHT OUTSIDE**

They walk into his house at sunset. Two flights before Diggle parted ways, a silent car ride after she noticed her phone and keys were still in the manor.

Deafening silence meets them inside, the echo of the door closing being the only sound. It's still empty, furniture few and scattered around. Power is down, Slade's men's doing; yet sunlight streams through the large windows, bathing the room in a warm light.

He walks ahead of her, bee lining to the camera in the foyer and crushing it without hesitation. She watches his stance for a moment, the tension in his shoulders, the sorrow in his eyes; then wanders into the library and retrieves her phone from where she'd stashed it earlier. She takes a second, leans on the empty bookshelf and collects herself, memories of the last few days rushing through her mind.

When she goes back through the corridor to the entrance he's no longer there. A quick look around propels her to the living room where she finds him by the window. Light shines brightly against his skin, lightening the darkness he's usually around.

Oliver turns to her; apparently she's not as stealth as him. A surprising smile tugs at his lips, as if beckoning her forward. She does, softly padding through the room until she's by his side, light shining on her as well.

They both ponder in silence, eyes lost in the sunset outside, a sight so beautiful and hopeful, a stark contrast to what life had been like these past few weeks.

He moves first, facing her again, her face turning sideways to meet his eyes. She doesn't even think about it, it's like magnetism that draws her to him, mirror his every move.

"I want… I need to thank you, Felicity" his voice breaks the silence, calm, collected.

She is taken aback.

"Why?"

"For saving my life." The intensity he puts forth in his voice and the look in his eyes takes her breath away for a moment. Then her coping mechanism kicks in, the one that shields her for reading too much into it.

"I think we did that part together. Granted, I would've liked you filling me on the plan beforehand, maybe cluing in the rest of the team too; but hey, it worked."

He smiles warmly at her.

"It did."

She gives him one of her best Felicity Smoak smiles, the kind that can light up a room, even if it's filled with angst ridden vigilantes.

"That's not all I was thanking you for though."

Her brow furrows, and he makes up his mind; taking a step forward however small it may be.

"You believed in me when nobody did. When… Laurel told me I was a cold-blooded killer you said I was a _hero_. I never saw myself like that, I just saw myself as–" a pause, eyes lost in the distance. "_broken_."

She can see death and pain playing in his features, his shoulders slumping visibly. She hesitates, her hands itching to lie on his arm, trying to offer comfort in a way he wouldn't turn her down. But she waits, curious eyes studying the play of emotions he displays, his mask clearly torn over time and completely discarded now before her.

"If it weren't for you… honestly I have no idea where or who I'd be right now. But I know it wouldn't be safe, _whole_… I'd be probably dead even."

Breath hitches in her throat at the mere thought of losing him; the fact he had been willing to give up on life in favor of all of them still troubled her mind. She didn't understand how he could see himself as anything short of a hero.

"Please, don't…" she breathes, burying the sight of a lifeless Oliver from her mind.

He takes her reaction in and reaches for her, his right hand now pressing firmly on her shoulder. Blue eyes flutter open and meet his, lighter than she's ever seen them before. A burden's been lifted –a very threatening Australian-sounding burden to be precise– and she couldn't be happier to see him acknowledging who he is, who she's always seen his as.

"You are a hero, Oliver. Not only to me but to Starling."

"I believe that now. I didn't understand how you could think that of me, how you could see a part of myself I wasn't even sure was there."

His palm slides down her arm, his gentle touch sending warmth through her body. She barely registers as he takes a step forward, the space between them scarce yet too much as the same time.

"Thank you for making me the man I am today."

She manages to give him a slight nod, her lips curling up into a soft smile that he can't help but return. A beat passes as they stare into each other's eyes, searching, not sure for what, but finding it nonetheless.

"I don't know what I did to deserve you, having you in my life."

"I think living in purgatory for half a decade does it." She quips, drawing a full on smile from him.

His hand stops at her hand, fingers caressing the back of it before taking it in his. Blue meets blue as a silent conversation goes through, one of many they'd shared over time.

'_I meant it_', '_I know_', '_I'm not ready_', '_I know. One day we will be_'.

'_I can't wait._'

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Thanks for reading! As always, encouragement or constructive criticism is greatly appreciated :)


	3. I've got this friend

So here it goes another scene of a possible follow-up episode to the finale; this time involving the other member of team arrow. It's sort of inspired by _aditunosaonserei_'s prompt on tumblr about Diggle's opinion of what goes down in the finale.

Hope you like it!

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**I'VE GOT THIS FRIEND**

It doesn't take long. Merely a day after they'd been back but he knew it was coming.

Oliver braces himself as Diggle enters the lair, a stern look on his face. He sighs and focuses back on the debris he'd been moving around, trying to salvage whatever is left of his other home. Diggle reaches his side, eyebrows raised at his best friend's distraction tactics; as if that would make him stand down.

"Oliver we need to talk about it."

"What's there to talk about, John?"

He huffs in exasperation. Denial sure was strong with this one.

"I know what you did with Felicity."

Oliver halts his movements and leans against his table, bracing what's to come.

"How?"

"She didn't tell me, if that's what you're thinking. But you should have… You had your comm on." His voice is firm, commanding, a hint of anger tainting his words. "We are a team, Oliver."

With a final sigh he turns around and meets his accusatory stare, still what troubles him the most is the pain he can see in his face and hear in his voice.

"I'm sorry. I thought it was the best way to handle it, the only shot we had." His jaw tightens remembering the internal battle he went through to talk himself into doing it, the unthinkable. "Trust me, I didn't like it anymore than you did."

"Oliver this is not about you putting Felicity in danger; we both know she's more than capable of holding her own." His best friend's brow furrows and he clarifies. "It's about you being stupid enough to keep the plan to yourself."

"We needed him to believe it. I didn't know if he would, and wasn't about to take any more chances."

Diggle laughs humorlessly, puzzling Oliver again. _He really didn't see it, did he? How obvious they were. _For a smart vigilante he was quite blind to what was just in front of him.

"_You_ trust me, he would've bought it either way." Diggle had never been shy on his opinion on their relationship, or what he thought he saw between Felicity and him.

An unpleasant silence surrounds them then as Diggle wonders how to approach his last question.

"That last part." He says and sees him close his eyes in understanding. "It wasn't part of the plan, was it?"

Oliver breaths in deeply, still mulling over how he had let that happen, how he had voiced his thoughts even before he could make sense of them. Words aren't needed for Diggle to get his answer.

He just shakes his head in amusement, knowing he'd been proven right; even through the comm. he had heard the passion with which Oliver had uttered those three words, followed by the fear and vulnerability in his last question. There was no way he had turned into a terrific actor overnight, especially with Felicity, with whom his attempts at excuses and lying had always been quite pathetic, and definitely didn't sound like _that_.

"Does she know?" Diggle's voice is calm, controlled after the pensive pause that followed Oliver's silent confession.

"I don't know" he admits in a whisper. "I didn't know it myself until I said it. Then again she's always been good at reading me."

A half smile spreads across his right-hand-man's face at his confession; _this was certainly a step forward, finally_.

"You could've told her at the beach, you know."

Oliver turns his way and meets his smile with one of his own. "Yeah with you overhearing; it sure would've been romantic."

They laugh for a moment, the sound strange to their ears though neither dwells on it. When the fun dies down Oliver turns serious again, taking a deep breath.

"I don't think I'm ready, John." His voice is shaky, fear lacing his words.

Diggle walks up to him and pats him in the shoulder. "We never are, man. But if you're scared of it falling apart that's when you know it's real. Just make sure you're set before jumping into battle. I don't want either of you to get hurt."

"Me neither."

His words hang in the air until a phone bleeps. Laurel's name flashes on the screen and, after a few short texts exchanged, they agree to meet by the bar.

Still he turns to Diggle, placing a hand to his shoulder.

"Thank you, John." His voice is sincere, no acting involved when it came to them.

A firm nod is given in return and before long he's gone upstairs, Diggle left in the darkened foundry to pick up the pieces, hoping that for once his best friends take a chance at happiness.

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Thanks for reading! As always, encouragement or constructive criticism is greatly appreciated :)


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